Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
A flaw in the Enable Media Replace WordPress plugin lets a logged-in Author-level user upload files the site should block. The cited description says this may allow PHP shell uploads, which can lead to full site compromise if the uploaded file is executable.
Executive priority
Prioritize remediation as high for any public WordPress site using this plugin. The business risk is website takeover from a low-privileged authenticated account, especially on sites with many contributors or weak account governance.
Technical view
CVE-2023-0255 is an arbitrary file upload issue in Enable Media Replace before 4.0.2, mapped to CWE-434. CVSS 3.1 is 8.8 with network access, low complexity, low privileges, and no user interaction required, with high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact.
Likely exposure
WordPress sites running Enable Media Replace versions earlier than 4.0.2 are the likely exposure, especially where untrusted or numerous users have Author-level or higher accounts.
Exploitation context
The supplied WPScan reference is tagged as exploit-related, but the bundle does not prove active exploitation. CISA KEV status is false, so treat this as exploitable risk, not confirmed in-the-wild exploitation.
Researcher notes
The source bundle identifies the affected plugin threshold and impact, but does not include detailed patch notes or live exploitation evidence. Validate exposure through plugin version checks and role review rather than assuming all WordPress instances are affected.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade Enable Media Replace to version 4.0.2 or later.
- Review vendor and WordPress plugin guidance for current remediation notes.
- Restrict Author-level access to trusted users until patched.
- Audit recent media uploads from Author-level accounts.
Validation and detection
- Inventory WordPress sites using Enable Media Replace.
- Confirm installed plugin version is 4.0.2 or later.
- Review WordPress user roles with Author-level or higher permissions.
- Check web-accessible upload paths for unexpected executable files.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-434: File access and web shell behavior lookup
File traversal and upload weaknesses can lead teams to review file, web shell, execution, and collection telemetry. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupFile access behavior lookup
The CVE wording references file access or upload behavior, so file telemetry and web shell review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2023-0255 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 8.8 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H2.85.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
8.8HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/b0239208-1e23-4774-9b8c-9611704a07a0CVE reference · exploit, vdb-entry
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type
Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.